Resolve
by projectoverlord
Summary: Even after everything they've been through, after everything they've said and done, Klaus can't let Stefan die. SLASH
1. Chapter 1

_**This doesn't follow the canon of my other Klefan stories. I wanted to try something a bit different. Please enjoy, sorry for making you all wait so long for more Klefan. Darn creative block. This takes place after Klaus has claimed the coffins (except for the locked one) but Elijah was never woken.**_

* * *

><p><em>And are you lonely looking for yourself out there?<em>

* * *

><p>It's his own weakness that brings him here. Klaus of all people is well aware of that. Strength goes only as far as the effort put into maintaining it. <em>To hell with strength<em>, the hybrid thinks,_ if it means being alone for the rest of time._

He stands in the pale light of the full moon, looking over the frail shape of Stefan's body. The wound is illuminated by the moonlight, and Klaus lets out a haggard breath. A werewolf bite. One of his hybrids had reported finding the dying vampire. A _werewolf_ had cast Stefan out into the woods and left him there to die.

At first, Klaus has been pleased. This was a neat end to his problems. There would be little resistance when he found the final coffin. A pathetic witch, maybe Damon Salvatore.

But then it had hit him, in a crushing revelation, that it would mean no more Stefan. And as he stands here, a sense of finality in the bloodstained air, he knows he cannot allow Stefan to die.

Blood is thick on the ground. Stained footprints lead to and from the scene. The vampire had been dragged here, in the maw of a wolf. Rest assured, Klaus snorts, that he will find the beast and kill it. No sweet relief of hybridization. Just death. The werewolf can rot in hell.

Stefan, however, is going nowhere.

"Why are you here?" the vampire coughs, spluttering his words around the blood pooling in his throat. He looks quite the sight. Skin sallow and clammy, with a visible sheen of sweat. His eyes are dark, the veins beneath them visibly blackened. "Come to gloat?"

Klaus makes a face as he kicks the corpse near Stefan. Another of the wolf's victims, perhaps. Or perhaps a victim of the vampire. Hardly a matter of importance. "In case you had forgotten, Ripper, I am the only one capable of saving your life."

_That_ gives Stefan pause. He blinks. After a moment, when his mind is cleared, he laughs dryly. "And why would you save my life?"

There's no need to contemplate. Klaus knows well why he's here. Stepping over the corpse, he meets Stefan's eyes. "Better to have enemies than no one at all."

Using what meagre strength he has left, Stefan props himself up in a sitting position against a tree. He stares unwaveringly at Klaus, even as the hybrid's eyes flit over the wound. A strange feeling bubbles in his stomach. Annoyance, perhaps, that someone else got to the vampire's throat before he did. "Come on, then," he says, shaking his head, "I can't feed you my blood if you're too busy choking on your own."

Quickly, Stefan spits what he can from his mouth, then looks back expectantly. Klaus has already broken the skin of his wrist, and he holds it steady in front of the vampire. Stefan stares unwaveringly at it, watching the ruby blood drip from pale skin, and his eyes darken further.

When his lips latch on, Klaus chuckles. Once a ripper, _always a ripper_. The hybrid doesn't flinch as Stefan's teeth graze a tendon, doesn't bother to worry about blood loss or the vampire's lack of restraint.

"The least you could do, in the future, is stop trying to get yourself killed. Rest assured when the moment finally does come, it'll be me th-" his voice fail him suddenly. In his distraction, he's lost sight of the vampire's actions. Stefan is no longer drinking from his wrist.

Instead, he's just licked a clean stripe up the hybrid's smooth skin. And all the blood in Klaus' body drains south in one heated second. Like a bullet, he jerks away. When his back collides with a tree, the force is sufficient to audibly crack the trunk.

Neither speaks. They just stand there, watching each other. Unable to tear their eyes away. Confused. Lost. _Scared_. A knot forms in Klaus' stomach and clenches at his insides. Stefan's bloodstained lips are red and oh so distracting, even as the bloodlust drains from his eyes. The look is replaced by something undefinable.

"Do your best not to die on your way home," Klaus snaps. As the far elder of the two, he is better practiced at a fast recovery. Even from this. Even when every synapse in his brain feels fried.

Before Stefan can even think of a witty retort, the only thing left of Klaus is the indent of his body in the tree.


	2. Chapter 2

**I feel terrible that these chapters are so short, but it's late and I'm exhausted. I just wanted to put something up. If only to please my inner critic. Obvious PWP is obvious...**

* * *

><p><em>Is it still me that makes you sweat, am I who you think about in bed?<em>

Even when he's home, he still feels Stefan's touch. Safe behind closed doors, all the hybrids gone, he still hears Stefan's voice in his head. An infection. The unpainted walls close in on him, the unfurnished rooms scream at him. Everything feels _wrong_. He'd saved Stefan because he'd felt no other option available. He hadn't anticipated that saving Stefan would change everything.

That one little feeling, niggling at the back of his mind, is changing everything. The part of him that says, you didn't just get shocked by that lick, Klaus,_ you liked it_. Funny how that voice in his head sounds like Rebekah. She'd always been the lover of the family, not a single care for tradition or rules. Men, women; there were few who could resist such a pretty face. No surprise to him that she'd be the mental advocate for broadening his horizons.

Frustration boils within him, and he punches a hole through three layers of drywall. How can this be happening? _Caring_ makes them weak. He doesn't love, he certainly doesn't love _Stefan_. Yet, it seems, his body disagrees. The voice in his head seems determined to make him open up. Let go of all those inhibitions and have from Stefan whatever he should want.

Straightening up, he heads into the bathroom to wash off the powder. It's only when he's staring into the mirror that he realises there's still blood on his arm. Stefan didn't have a chance to finish his cleaning job. Jamming his hand in under the tap, Klaus continues cleaning, then curses and sheds his clothes instead. The sink is too small to get his arm in there, and he's making a mess of the floor and his arm.

* * *

><p>The running water of a scalding shower is soothing. Warm against his already superheated skin, and relaxing. It forces the worries from his mind, the knots from his muscles. But he still feels those emotions, those ridiculous feelings that twine through his heart. And it doesn't drown out the sound of footsteps.<p>

He meets Stefan's eyes, refusing to give the vampire any satisfaction at catching him so vulnerable. They both know, naked or not, Klaus could kill him in a heartbeat. Stefan's eyes don't waver from the hybrid's face. Nor does he speak or look away. Even to Klaus, his expression is unreadable.

Then, at long last, he says, "You saved my life."

Warm water begins to run cold. Has it really been that long? Reaching over, Klaus turns the taps off and grabs a towel. "I imagine there's some kind of question in there. Or are we playing a game of state the obvious?"

"Why?"

"Well, Stefan, I'd tell you but I just don't see why I should have to. I saved your life, _you_ owe _me_," the hybrid replies, wrapping the towel around his waist and fastening it before stepping out. Unintentionally, he brings himself closer to Stefan. Too close, and the cold water on his skin just about hisses into steam.

"Then tell me, Klaus, what is it that you want?"

His first thought should be the coffins. Or even for every vampire in town to suddenly drop dead. Instead, his first thought is Stefan. He wants Stefan.

"What I want is for you to get out. Get out of my house and leave me be. Because if you don't I might reconsider letting you live."

"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me why you saved me!" Stefan shouts, and in his fury he reaches out and clasps Klaus' arm tightly. The contact sends every alarm bell in Klaus' brain into overdrive. He grabs the vampire, shoving him up against the wall, and before he can reconsider, he leans in and seals their lips together. The kiss is heated, it's rough. Teeth against teeth and nails scraping down arms. It's only when Klaus pulls away that he realises it took less than a second for Stefan to reciprocate. It's only when he takes a haggard and unnecessary breath that he realises Stefan had enjoyed it.

"So, let's try this again. Tell me what it is that you want," Stefan says, so close that Klaus can feel the vampire's breath ghost across his face. Smell his own blood. Stefan is unwavering, and Klaus lurches as a hand moves to the knot of the towel.

"I want you to leave," he reaffirms.

And it almost hurts when Stefan does just that.


	3. Chapter 3

**First of all, thank you so much to the people who have shown interest in this story, in any manner. You guys are the reason I do this.**

**Secondly, to Katerina, your review of the first chapter is on the reposted version of this story. I still got it and I was very honoured by it! **

** There was a bit of confusion having two versions of the story up, because the first version died and it was all madness for a moment there. The first version, this one, is now back to working order. I've deleted the reposted version to avoid further confusing moments for all of us.**

** On with the story!**

* * *

><p>Stefan stretches out on his bed, putting everything with Klaus to the back of his mind. There he lays for the better part of four days, not moving an inch. His mind remains thankfully blank, but there's no ignoring the maelstrom churning in his stomach. The incidents with Klaus have shaken him. <em>Shaken us both<em>, he tells himself as he remembers the look on the hybrid's face after their kiss.

_Kiss._ Crushing his eyes closed, he groans. This can't be happening. It's pure and utter madness, nothing more.

"Isn't it a little early to be sulking?" a voice says. It sounds like Elena. Hell, she even looks like Elena. But Stefan always knows it's Katherine. She has a way about her, in movement and voice. "I thought you were trying to keep all that feelings stuff on the down low lately."

"What do you want, Katherine?" he asks boredly, and as something gets flung past his head, he finally looks up at her properly. She's rooting through his room, clearly looking for _something_. While he watches, she reaches under the base of a bookshelf and grins.

"Just this. Hid it here back in the 70's." When she stands up, Stefan frowns. It's a page from something, but he knows Katherine better than to expect answers.

When she makes it to the door, she sighs. "So, this is about Klaus?"

"Go away, Katherine," he says, voice sounding tired as he feels. "I'm not discussing this with you."

"If this is your pathetic attempt at a love life, sure. Go ahead, keep it to yourself."

"I intend to," Stefan says icily. "Take your page and go."

And, of course, she does. When Stefan finally looks up at the empty room, he sighs. _Still not happening,_ he thinks to himself. Better to live in denial. Always better to live in denial. Especially when it involves falling in love with Klaus.

"You think too loudly," Damon complains as he walks in, and Stefan glares at him.

"Then maybe you can hear me telling you to go away," the blonde vampire says into a pillow, groaning as Damon grabs his arm and in one swift movement, tugs him onto the floor.

"Klaus is here," Damon replies.

"Klaus can go die in a fire," Stefan snaps, rising to his feet in time to see the hybrid in the doorway. Damon takes one look at each of them before hurriedly exiting the room. With a sneer in Klaus' direction, Stefan continues, "preferably one that hurts."

"Yes, well, you can't always get what you want, _Stefan_. The lovely Katerina has been here, I take it?" he says, sniffing the air. When he looks directly at the bookcase Katherine had raided, a strange feeling awakens in the soles of Stefan's feet, working up towards his stomach.

"Why are you here, Klaus?"

"This is about what Katerina took," the hybrid snaps. "Anything else is unimportant."

"Oh, like that little matter where you kissed me?"

Fire flashes in Klaus' eyes, and with one easy blow he sends Stefan careening into the bricks. In less than a second, his hand is clasped over Stefan's throat, and he glares at the vampire. "Say that again and you're as good as dead."

"_You kissed me_. And you _enjoyed it,"_ Stefan confirms, more amusement in his voice than is perhaps wise.

Then there are teeth in his throat, and pain searing down his neck from the wound. Klaus pulls away, blood dripping from his chin and a cruel look in his eyes. He is a man of his word, if nothing more or nothing less. One of Stefan's hands clamp to his neck, betrayal in his eyes. Then, when he's had a moment to recover, he snaps, "Haven't we already been here before? You saved my life, remember?"

"And I told you that the day you die, it'd be _my_ way. That the only one who gets to kill you is _me._"

Panic begins to clench at Stefan's stomach. The bite worsens with every passing second. Already he can feel the fatigue settling in. Without the cure - without _Klaus'_ blood - he will die. When his legs waver it's all he can do to stay on his feet, and a new look of desperation appears on his face.

"_Klaus_," he says, and the hybrid frowns.

"That almost sounded like a _beg,_ ripper. Here I was thinking you weren't the type."

"Please. Please, save me," he says, mouth watering. It wasn't so long ago he tasted hybrid blood, and he still remembers it well. Different to human blood, richer, thicker. _Better_.

The same feeling snakes up through Klaus, the niggling feeling that had landed him by Stefan's side almost a week before. Saving his life, whether the vampire deserved help or not. That same weakness, only strengthened by the look in Stefan's eyes. The fear. Blood follows the contours of his throat, the same blood still on Klaus' own lips.

And he can't do it. He can't let Stefan die.

Walking towards the vampire on shaky legs, he offers his wrist. Stefan has the decency to look surprised, followed by rising his gaze to Klaus' face. Silently asking permission, Klaus realises, and he pushes the pale skin of his wrist against Stefan's lips. The result is immediate; his teeth tear through the skin and eagerly he begins to feed. One of his hands snakes up to hold Klaus' arm in place, and his fingers begin to stroke at the hybrid's wrist.

"Stefan," he says, his voice embarrassingly high. Embarrassingly revealing. What had been intended as a warning instead speaks for the need inside of him. To relive the kiss, to never let Stefan go. Clearing his throat, he tries again. "_Stefan."_

Swiftly, Stefan begins trailing a line of kisses up Klaus' arm, tracking blood with him and bringing their bodies close. When he reaches Klaus' mouth, the kiss he places there is tentative. Hesitant. As though he's prepared for Klaus to reject him. _How can he not know,_ Klaus thinks, _that I never could?_

And he takes control. Returns the kiss with full force, as though letting go of Stefan would mean dying. Their lips meld together perfectly, hands exploring rough material and smooth skin. Klaus trails a hand through Stefan's hair, tugging at it gently and being rewarded with the vampire moving to his throat. Stefan doesn't bite him - won't bite him. He trails kisses across blazing hot skin, licks and sucks and makes them both weak in the knees.

And then, as all good things must, the kiss ends. And Klaus is gone.


	4. Chapter 4

Klaus takes his turn to brood graciously; splayed out on the edge of the falls their godforsaken town is named for, throwing pottery into the abyss beneath him. A few nervous hybrids watch from nearby, unsure of what to make of their creator's latest fit. Klaus himself doesn't seem sure. Spinning a particularly nice black and ochre pot on his palm, he shouts something unintelligible before flogging it as far as he can. It's only his exceptional hearing that allows him to hear the crashing sound a few moments later.

In truth, he doesn't know why he left. Everything had been...happening. Both of them had been enjoying the turn of events. Part of him thinks it's because he's too strong for this. The part that sounds like Rebekah snorts and reminds him that he's _really_ not that strong. It then goes on, in great detail, about his inability to open up to love and let Stefan all the way in. Right about the part where it starts monologuing about his fear of losing Stefan and he starts wondering if this is all that normal, one of the hybrids steps forward. Klaus pegs a blue vase and then snaps, "If you are here to tell me he's found me, I will throw you over these falls."

"It's not Stefan," she replies, then steps back to reveal Katherine. Klaus makes a face and picks up a particularly hideous green and purple plate, then tosses it over his shoulder.

"What do _you_ want?"

"You seem to be asking people that a lot lately," she says lightly, moving to pick up an item from his pile. When he levels her with a withering stare, she retreats and sighs. "I know you have the second page. I was hoping we could make a trade."

"And what do you have that could possibly interest me?" he says, lobbing another identical green and purple plate. "The pages won't do you any good."

"So you do have it then?"

He chortles out a laugh then turns to her, crossing his arms, "Of course I have it. But you have nothing that I want."

"I have Stefan," she replies, knowing full well it's not exactly something she can trade.

"Stefan is hardly a possession, nor do you _have_ him. You _had_ him, and he outgrew you."

"Funny," Katherine snarks, "there wasn't anything in there about _not_ wanting him."

"If I wanted Stefan I would have him."

When Katherine finally speaks, there is something new in her face. Some deep emotion Klaus has never seen in her before. Her voice is solemn as she replies, "Then take him. Don't wait and lose him like I did."

He turns with a smart alec retort, but there's nobody there. With a heavy sigh, he drops the latest piece of doomed pottery and struts away from the falls.

* * *

><p>Stefan is in no better condition. When Damon arrives home from god-knows-where (and if he smells a little too much like Alaric, Stefan doesn't notice) his entire alcohol collection has been razed. Were there any doubt as to the culprit, it is dashed by the fact Stefan is still lying in the middle of the mess.<p>

The older of the two just crosses his arms and makes a face. When Stefan goes out of his way to ignore him, Damon snaps, "Trouble in paradise?"

With a quick glance over his brother, Stefan laughs drunkenly and snarks, "That Alaric's shirt or are you shrinking?"

Damon tugs uncomfortably at the too-large collar and glares. "Some of this is centuries old, Stefan. Whatever your problem is maybe you should get the hell out of here and try and solve it. There's only so much wallowing," at this moment, he pauses and snatches a bottle from Stefan's hand, reads the label, then continues with a little more sulk, "you can do."

"Don't care."

"What about a diary entry? Sulking into a page always used to make you feel better," Damon says haughtily, crossing his arms.

"Don't care."

Throwing up his hands, the older vampire walks out of the room. It's only a few moments later that he realises he's walked out of his own room, and he groans yet again. Two seconds later he decides to hell with it. Time to go to the source. If Klaus is the one causing all these problems then Klaus is sure as hell going to be the one to fix them.

* * *

><p>The hybrids let Damon Salvatore pass with grudging acceptance, then clear out in anticipation of the upcoming showdown. Klaus is discussing, however distractedly, the furniture choices for the back two rooms. When he smells Damon, he narrows his eyes and dismisses the interior designer. "This is getting old."<p>

"So is Stefan sulking and drinking. I don't know what you did to my brother, but if you don't fix it-"

Klaus moves in a blur of action, slamming the young vampire into a wall and sneering, "If I don't fix it you'll _what?_ Do not tell me what to do. I've saved your brother's life but I won't hesitate to end yours."

"Look," Damon reasons, despite the deathgrip Klaus still has on his throat. "It's not about what I do, is it? Stefan is falling apart and if you care enough to save his life you should care enough to save his sanity too."

"I really _wish_ that you and all of your little friends would stop giving me advice," Klaus snaps, but he releases Damon nonetheless. "You aren't supposed to be wise."

"I guess I've been spending too much time around wiser minds," Damon says, rubbing his throat. "You should try it sometime."

Klaus swings for the other man's face, but Damon sideswipes it and smirks. With a look that says _Not today,_ he bolts from the room.

"Fantastic," the hybrid snaps to the empty room.

The fireplace blazes brightly in the dining room, and Klaus drops down in front of it, staring deep into the flames. As though they will provide him the answers he seeks. The courage to face this thing once and for all. After defeating Mikael, he had thought all his battles won. Everything at peace. But Stefan had always been determined, and Klaus knows he should've known better than to expect a peaceful end.

He remembers watching Stefan in the 20's. Starry eyed over a common vampire. _But there was nothing common about the ripper._ A powerful vampire, a man unafraid of anything. That had been admirable. Moreover, it had been the Stefan that had captured Klaus' attention. Rebekah had always known it, of course. As one who loves so openly and so good at reading, she had spotted it before Klaus had fully come to understand.

* * *

><p>When Klaus arrives in his bedroom, Stefan remains silent. Wishing he'd showered. Wishing he hadn't plowed his way through every bottle in the house. Wishing Klaus would just stop staring and kiss him already.<p>

Klaus kicks a bottle out of the way, walks up to the now-standing vampire and captures his lips in a passionate and gentle kiss. Stefan fists his hands into the hybrid's hair, into his shirt. Anything to keep him there and make it last this time. Conscious thought turns to blank pages, and everything just fades into the moment. The feel of Klaus' chest hard against his own. The way his hands sear across Stefan's skin, so hot it's almost unbearable.

After a long moment, Klaus moves them, backing up until the back of his knees hit a bed and he sinks down onto it. Stefan follows obediently, crawling up and over the hybrid's lap before sinking down and rolling his hips. This elicits a haggard breath from Klaus, and when Stefan smiles into the kiss Klaus mimics the action. Jutting his hips up, he grinds their bodies together, then uses his free hand to pull Stefan as close as possible.

Klaus' lips trail down Stefan's chin, following his jawbone until he reaches the vampire's pale throat. With a deep sniff of his blood, Klaus opens his mouth and closes it over Stefan's neck. The vampire's breath hitches, coming shallowly in his throat until he grasps Klaus' arm tighter. The hybrid abandons his lover's throat and moves back up to his lips, leaving blood in his wake. The veins under Stefan's eyes darken, and when he opens them he's staring into the golden gleam of Klaus' bloodlust. That's when Klaus freezes, and Stefan's grip unconsciously tightens. "Don't run."

A vast array of thoughts bombard the hybrid, and for a long time he is still under Stefan. Then something changes in his face, and he shuts his eyes and nods.

Leaning in, Stefan kisses him like the world might just end.

* * *

><p><strong>Three cheers for a decent length chapter? Still feels short to me, though. Too late to think. I tried pouring water into the bin half an hour ago, clearly I need sleep. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Trying to figure out what happens next will be the interesting part. I suck at established relationships.<strong>

**Agh, you guys, you make me so happy. When I see reviews I just about die of happiness. Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou. Thanks to everyone who thinks I write Klaus well, thanks to everyone who takes the time to review. *happy dance***


	5. Chapter 5

_Will you be the one and only? Wait for me, let me be your only one._

* * *

><p>The next morning Klaus is still there, stretched out on the bed like a cat. A swell of happiness rises within Stefan, and as he rolls over to face Klaus he has to fight down a stupid grin. The hybrid is so close that Stefan can feel the heat of his body. Smell him and the blood pulsing through his veins. And this scene, right here, feels so perfect. Especially when Klaus smiles, despite the fact his eyes are shut, and every conscious thought Stefan has flies straight out of his head.<p>

Leaning over, he pulls Klaus into a kiss, savouring everything about the hybrid. Just as Klaus savours everything about Stefan, right down to the way his family ring scrapes at the bare skin of the hybrid's hip. Forcibly removing himself from the embrace, Klaus sighs. "Sorry, love, but I have something important to deal with. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"That's a pity. I guess I'll just have to amuse myself, then," Stefan says, but Klaus catches the teasing in his voice and narrows his eyes. When one of the vampire's bare feet snakes up and around his thigh, it's all Klaus can do not to give in. Just _stay_. Stefan continues in his exploration, looping his foot behind Klaus and using it to tug the hybrid down on top of him. As Klaus falls - _allows_ himself to fall - Stefan rises up to meet him, their lips crashing together and bodies melding. And when Klaus settles himself onto Stefan's lap, both of them manage a smile. Because for just once in his life, it feels as though he may never be alone again.

"Don't think you've won," he murmurs against Stefan's lips. "I'm still going."

"Suit yourself," Stefan replies, releasing the hybrid. And when Klaus stands and begins tugging on his shirt his shirt, the vampire merely lies back and shuts his eyes.

Before he has a chance to open them, Klaus leans down and presses his lips against the blonde's forehead. "Sleep well, _ripper_."

And when he finally does open his eyes, the light flares into his vision. And by then, Klaus is gone.

* * *

><p>It almost comes as a surprise when, that afternoon, his phone chirps. Stefan searches through a few pairs of jeans before he finds it, tugs it out and reads the text.<p>

_Meet me at the lake._

If Klaus' name hadn't been signed with it, he may not have even believed it was the hybrid who had sent it. Whatever Klaus had planned, it was sure to be worth making the trip. So Stefan gets dressed, digs for his keys and walks downstairs. He passes Ric and Damon half-arguing half-making out on the couch, and rolls his eyes. The two of them don't even notice him as he passes, though he's sure Damon has an inkling that he's there. Better, he supposes, that they don't ask him where he's off to.

By the time he arrives at the lake, the sun is just beginning to set. So when he reaches the dock, Klaus is bathed in golden light. Handsome, radiant, _alight_.

_"A king,_" he remembers saying, back in the 20's. And now, almost a century later, he _sees_ it in Klaus.

"You're here," Klaus says, lying still with his feet dipped in the water. His jeans are tugged up to his knees, shirt sleeves rolled to his elbows. It's casual, it's unusual. And Stefan drinks it in. This is how he wants Klaus. Golden in the light of the fading sun, alone and ruffled, and all for _him. _If this is the closest they ever come, if this is all he ever gets from Klaus, it'll be enough. He loves the hybrid, and right here, he feels as though he can say it. No fear, no hesitation.

Klaus stands, the water trailing behind him as he approaches Stefan and kisses the vampire warmly. Stefan reciprocates, letting the feeling fill him up. Even if there's water dripping onto his legs.

Though the sun is beginning to disappear behind the trees, Klaus has lit a brazier on either side of the docks, and it keeps them illuminated even as darkness begins to fall.

"Is this a _date?_" he says suddenly, eyes widening as it occurs to him that, yes, in their own way, it is.

A new look of annoyance comes across the hybrid's face. "Nothing so dramatic. More an I haven't seen you in too long occasion."

"You saw me less than twelve hours ago," Stefan points out with a smile, and Klaus crosses his arms.

"If you don't like it, I'm more than happy to leave," he snaps shortly, and Stefan catches his arm. The vampire tugs him in, kissing him soundly as if to say _I love it. Stay_. When they break apart, there's an almost imperceptible hint of relief on Klaus' face.

They lie on the dock in silence, perfectly happy to just be in each other's company. Klaus tilts his head, watching the firelight flicker across his lover's skin. When he kisses Stefan's collarbone and moves to his throat, there's not even a thought of biting the skin there. And he knows Stefan likes it, because the vampire's body tenses. Klaus lines his throat with kisses. At long last, he moves to Stefan's lips, kissing him so soundly that they both forget how to think.

"Now, now," Klaus says as he pulls away. He pauses a moment, catching his breath against Stefan's shoulder, before he continues, "If this _is_ to be a date, I intend to do it properly."

With a flourish, he gestures at the banks. One young woman, clearly compelled, stands waiting for Klaus' orders. The hybrid grins cheekily, then whispers to Stefan, "Care for a drink?"

"Not from her," Stefan replies carefully, and looks up into Klaus' eyes. The hybrid tenses under Stefan's palm, pressed directly over his heart. And then he leans back, pulling Stefan with him and tilting his head to the side.

Stefan is certain, as he leans in, that this is more intimate than any declaration of love. This is Klaus opening up as far as his heart can go. _This_ is Klaus saying _I love you, never leave my side_.

And as the blood rushes onto his tongue, singing on his tastebuds, Stefan silently promises that he never will.

* * *

><p><strong>Oh my god, the <em>fluff.<em> This is like, the fluffiest thing I have ever written. And it's _Klefan_. I really hope you enjoyed this chapter, because I admit to loving writing it.**


	6. Chapter 6

_All I mind is losing you_

* * *

><p>When the next morning dawns, Stefan stretches out on his bed with a feeling of brightness. A new light to his life. The taste of Klaus' blood is still heavy on his tongue, pulling him back to the previous night. As a grin rises on his face, he bumps his elbow against Klaus. But when his skin brushes that of the person next to him, his smile is quickly replaced by a frown. He expects heat - after all, Klaus has a body temperature that runs eighty degrees on a cold day. About two seconds after he registers the <em>cold<em> and definitively female body lying next to him, he's across the room and glaring at it. "_Katherine_."

She grins that devil's grin and cocks her head to the side, "You're such an adorable sleeper, Stefan. So innocent."

A quick glance tells him what he had already expected - that Klaus is nowhere in sight. Katherine is the only person in the room, and she's stripped down to her underwear and lying on his bed. Averting his eyes from her form in utter distaste, he snaps, "Where is Klaus?"

"Not important," she says, rising from the bed and walking towards him. Her hips sway seductively, and as he watches her he remembers the old days. The days when just a glance at Katherine would make his blood run hot. Make him want her more than life itself.

Now, he looks at her and all he feels is contempt. When she runs a hand down his arm, he shies away. She giggles, "Come on, Stefan. You know you want me."

_I really don't_, he thinks, making a face and stepping back. Like a dance, Katherine follows. She's right there with him until his back hits the wall and she's pinning him there. With Klaus, being stuck between the hybrid and a wall is possibly the hottest thing he's ever experienced. But Katherine is _not_ Klaus.

Not for the first time, he finds himself wishing that his lover were here. Their date had ended all too soon the previous night, and he'd been looking forward to the morning after.

_Where are you?_ he asks, knowing the hybrid can't hear but just hoping he _knows_. As Katherine's hands trail down his stomach and find his belt, she kisses his cheek gently. No feelings of want rise within him, no arousal tempts him. She's half naked and all over him, and he doesn't feel a thing. And it's freeing just to know that. Despite the situation, he chuckles dryly. Katherine, noting his expression, narrows her eyes and slams him hard into the wall.

"Why are you doing this, Katherine?" he asks lazily, but in his heart he's panicking. Katherine is older than he is; she is stronger and faster than he is. Klaus' blood is draining from his system and no longer has the power to assist him. And as long as Katherine wants him, there's nothing he can do to stop her. _Klaus_, he curses silently. Where the hell is that bastard when he's needed?

It's right at that moment that he hears the footsteps, and everything grinds to a screeching halt. Suddenly, Katherine's plan begins to make just a little more sense. When the footsteps are right outside the door, she leans in and kisses him solidly, using one hand to slide into his hair and grip it.

They both hear the hybrid's roar of fury, and then the cool weight of the female vampire is replaced by a pissed off, stronger than life hybrid. "Well," Klaus says lowly, "that makes everything much simpler."

"Klaus!" he protests, but the vice-like grip on his throat prevents him from continuing.

"_Don't_," Klaus snaps. "I don't want to hear it."

Katherine, who had been pushed into the bookshelf on the opposite side of the room, is picking herself up from the floor. Only Stefan can see her grin. That sweet but oh-so-deadly grin she wears like a victory banner. _All according to plan._

Klaus doesn't even notice her leave the room. When Stefan looks back at him, Klaus' attention is focused entirely on him. And those blue eyes just look _hurt_. All the betrayal the hybrid feels translate directly into his eyes, directly to Stefan. That look in his eyes that screams _I let you in and you betrayed me._

_ Just like I knew you would,_ Klaus thinks. The wise part of him is in fine form. It reprimands him for his weakness. Tells him that _this is why we do not love. This is why we do not care_. Stefan stares back at him, unable to speak. Unable to deny it. When Klaus releases him at long last, it feels as though an age has passed them by.

"I trusted you," Klaus says eventually, and there are tears in his eyes. He shakes his head, then continues, "If I _ever_ see you again, I will kill you."

And he turns his back on Stefan, leaving the vampire with nothing to do but slide to the floor in defeat.

* * *

><p>Klaus doesn't feel anger. In truth, no emotion even brushes the surface. He's just too <em>sad<em>. It's written over his face, permanently etched into his features. Every movement screams defeat, every word is pained. The hybrids flit about him as he sits on the edge of the falls. Not daring to leave but never daring to come too close. Their fear is rationalised when a dark haired hybrid - too young or too stupid to realise Klaus' mood - walks up to him. Klaus' head rises, his eyes gleaming gold, and only a second later the young hybrid's head is flying over the edge of the falls. The body falls to the ground, and another two hybrids quickly clear it away. Blood seeps into the water at Klaus' feet, and he falls to the ground weakly.

It shouldn't hurt as bad as it does. _This _is why he never lets anyone close. Because love makes him foolish. Love makes him weak. And it was his own stupidity that had led to this. Stefan had used him, and he had fallen blindly for a mere _vampire._

"Klaus," a blonde hybrid says gently, and it is only her likeness to Rebekah that stills his hand. When he looks up at her, she blushes a bright pink. "It's Katherine. She's taken the second page. The entire mansion has been searched. She's gone."

And it's right then and there that everything slots into place, and a feeling of utter dread rises in his system.

He finds himself outside the Salvatore Boarding house, pacing on the doorstep for the better part of half an hour. He knows Stefan's probably heard him by now, knows that the vampire is probably hiding. Probably scared.

_You said you'd kill him_, he tells himself. And Stefan at least has the brains to know he'll follow through. But things had changed.

"She used us both," he mutters, because he knows Stefan can hear. "And I misunderstood."

"You made a mistake," comes the voice, and it's from directly on the other side of the door. "Say it."

"No," he growls.

"Then _leave_."

Voice softer, he replies, "_No."_

The door swings open, and Stefan opens his mouth to say something. Presumably something good and scathing, but it's far too late. Klaus is on him like wildfire, capturing his lips and forcing the words out of his mouth. Stefan melts into the kiss, allowing Klaus to run a hand through his hair and down his back until their hips are being pressed together. The hybrid smiles against Stefan's lips, and it sends jolts of electricity down the vampire's spine.

"Still want me to leave?" he whispers against Stefan's throat, simultaneously grinding their hips together. The vampire groans, shaking his head fervently. When Klaus speaks, his voice rumbles against Stefan's skin, against his chest and right down to his toes. "Cause I can go."

Immediately, Stefan tightens his grip. He uses it to swing them around and slam Klaus into the wall. When he looks back up, there's an intense look in his eyes. And Klaus is certain that nothing could ever pry him away from right here.

"That's what I thought," he murmurs into Stefan's ear.

* * *

><p><strong>So, this entire chapter was written in the last hour. Today has been mega hectic from the second I woke up to right up until 10pm.<strong>

**Hope this chapter was satisfactory.**


	7. Chapter 7

_All I want is the taste that your lips allow_

* * *

><p>"This is a joke, right?" Stefan mutters as he looks at the invitation, but Klaus is grinning like a cheshire cat. The hybrid's smile only dies a little as he notices the apprehension on Stefan's face, and drops a little more as Stefan adds, "Did you have something to do with this?"<p>

"Now why would I do that?" he purrs, returning his attention to the piece of paper.

"A party where everyone dresses up in 20's attire? _I wonder_," Stefan says dryly.

Klaus leaves the room with a devilish smirk on his face, and Stefan shouts abuse after him. All he gets in return is a shouted, "Better pull out that tuxedo, Mr Salvatore. And don't forget to bring the ripper. He looks ever so smart in a suit."

Stefan balls up the paper and pegs it at the hybrid's receding back. Then he stands and wanders over to his closet. Of course, there's nothing inside that even remotely resembles a 20's suit. Nor does he have any idea where one could purchase such a suit at such short notice. A fancy dress store? In his size?

"Here," Klaus mutters, holding out a suit bag. When Stefan takes it and lays it on the bed, unzipping it and peeking inside, he frowns.

"But this is..."

"Yes," Klaus snaps heatedly, and Stefan can't help but grin a little. "Yes, this is a suit worn in the 20's."

"By me," he replies, despite it being rather obvious Klaus had been hoping to avoid having that detail mentioned.

"By you."

"And pray tell, Klaus, how you got your hands on one of my suits?"

A new look comes over Klaus' face, and he smiles deviously. "Now that would be kissing and telling, my dear ripper. Get dressed, will you? Make sure it still fits."

But as the hybrid turns to leave this time he finds himself restrained by a strong, cool hand. And Stefan steps into his personal space, leaning close to his face to say, "Is there something about us you're not letting me remember yet, _Klaus_?"

"When I want you to know," Klaus says over the sudden flutter in his heart, "_I'll tell you_."

Stefan releases him, because alienating the hybrid now will not get him answers. With a slightly hurt look on his face he turns to the suit and pulls it out. He can still smell blood on it, still smell himself on it. With a start, he realises that the last time he remembers wearing this suit was two days after he had first met Klaus. And one of the few days he couldn't remember from that time, even after Klaus had told him he could.

_What happened?_ he thinks to himself, fingering the material as though it will give up its answers to him.

When he has it on, Klaus returns and tuts quietly. "You're a little rounder, ripper."

Moving across the room swiftly, he catches the hybrid mid-run and they both tumble onto the bed, suits and all. Pinning him there, Stefan grins. "If you don't like it, the door is always open."

"Oh, I hardly think I'm going anywhere," Klaus replies. "We should both, however, be making our way out. It'd be a pity to be late."

Stefan grunts in annoyance, but nonetheless drags himself off Klaus. The hybrid stands and brushes off his suit, grinning like a fool as Stefan swaggers to the door. "Coming, Klaus?"

"Oh, not yet. But I'm sure I will tonight," he says, abruptly standing close enough to whisper it into Stefan's ear. It occurs to Stefan then, as his legs begin to turn to mush along with his insides, that Klaus should really keep the talking to a minimum. Otherwise, they won't be going anywhere.

He's entirely certain they could find ways to make tonight great without ever stepping foot outside the bedroom.

Klaus, on the other hand, has different ideas. He is already out the door, and dragging Stefan down the stairs with him. The two of them come to the front door, stepping out into the frigid night air. Stefan stands there in utter shock, his breath steaming in front of his face, staring at the stretch limousine that awaits them.

"This is supposed to be a 20's party," he reprimands the hybrid, but Klaus merely snorts and opens the door for his lover.

"There are some things that were worth waiting a hundred years for," he replies curtly, with a look up through his eyelashes at Stefan. "Modern automobiles were one of them."

"And what else?" Stefan asks when they're both seated in the limo and the car is beginning to move.

"Oh, you know," Klaus says, leaning back and closing his eyes, "I do have a fondness for computers."

"Is that so?" the vampire chuckles, and abruptly Klaus has a foreign hand running up the inside of his thigh. Hissing in a breath, his eyes jerk open. "Is that all you waited for?"

"You aren't so good at playing games yet, ripper," he tells Stefan, but as the other man's hand draws dangerously near to his groin and suddenly falls away, Klaus finds himself rethinking that statement. "Where do you think you're going with that?"

"Oh, I thought I wasn't any good at playing games?" Stefan teases. "So I figured I should stop while I'm ahead."

Klaus leans over, lips pressing against Stefan's throat and stubble scratching his tanned skin. "Don't."

By the time they arrive at the party, Stefan looks particularly ruffled. His hair is sitting at an odd angle, and as they step from the car Klaus pauses to neaten the vampire's bowtie. "You look ravishing, love."

"I believe the term is _ravished_," Damon intones from nearby. The two lovers look over at the other Salvatore, then frown. Damon is leaned against a tree with a bottle of centuries old scotch in his hand. It's less than half full, and as they stand there Damon takes a long swig from it. "Get a room."

"We had one," Stefan says dryly. "What happened to you this time, brother?"

"_Ric_ is here," Damon replies, and both Klaus and Stefan frown. Upon seeing this, Damon snarkily adds, "With Psycho Lady Killer M.D."

"I thought you two were-" Stefan begins, but Damon narrows his eyes.

"We _were_. Apparently getting bloodjacked by that bitch is no more than I deserved for getting involved," he says, then takes another drink and sneers at them. "Go on, then. You're going to be late to the party."

Stefan goes to move closer, but Klaus rests a hand on his arm and shakes his head. At first, the vampire seems like he might go anyway, but eventually he nods to Klaus and the two of them move back towards the Lockwood mansion. It's bustling with activity. People mill around the property and inside the sizeable abode. Though most of them are dressed correctly, Stefan can see numerous mistakes in costumes and outfits. Glancing at Klaus, he wonders how many of the people around them are wearing genuine 20's attire. Certainly none of them can claim such authenticity as the hybrid and the vampire bring with them.

As they come within earshot of the place, Stefan's thoughts switch track. He begins now to wonder just how Klaus will treat him in the public eye. Maybe they aren't here as dates at all, perhaps Klaus intends for them to appear no more than friends.

When they begin up the steps, however, Klaus abolishes the doubt from his mind by stepping closer and taking Stefan's arm in his. "Well," he says quietly, "at least some conventions have changed since the 20's."

"Oh, please," Stefan replies. "You expect me to believe Rebekah wasn't with Gloria whenever she was sneaking out of our sight?"

Klaus chuckles lightly. "Never in the public eye."

Mayor Lockwood spots them, does a double take and then smiles brightly before approaching the duo. "Klaus, Stefan, it's so good to see you two here tonight. Have you seen Damon? He excused himself to go to the bathroom and I haven't seen him since. I was hoping to introduce him to one of the guests."

"Damon is otherwise indisposed currently," Klaus replies eloquently. "I'm certain he'll be back soon."

She smiles at them, then says, "I assume these suits are the genuine article, of course."

"Certainly," Klaus says. "Preserved from the 20's. They've not seen an occasion like this in far too long. I must say, I was thrilled to receive the invitation. The 20's were _magical_."

"I'll have to take your word for that," Mayor Lockwood replies, then her eye catches a familiar face and she bids them farewell.

"Rebekah would love this," Stefan comments. "She certainly held herself well in the 20's."

Klaus glares at him, then looks around the room and smiles. "I'll be right back."

It's almost half an hour before Stefan sees him again, and it's preceded by Damon and Alaric entering through the main doors - together. Klaus appears at his side almost simultaneously, and Stefan looks at him curiously. At first, he thinks maybe it's just a coincidence. But there's something in Klaus' expression that changes his mind, and he frowns. "Did you do something?"

"I...may have offered them a push in the correct direction," he replies, and Stefan can't help but smile.

"You did _Damon_ a favour?"

"Hardly," Klaus snaps, slightly offended by the idea. "No one likes a sulking Salvatore. I saw an opportunity to prevent it and I took it. That's all."

Amusement dances side by side with lust in Stefan's eyes, and after a short moment he grabs Klaus and drags him into the nearest empty room, their lips meeting as soon as the door is shut and locked behind them.

* * *

><p><strong>I am so sorry this has taken so long. Novel writing has been calling me away and only now, a week and 6,047 words later have I been able to drag myself out of that hole and write something completely unrelated. FanFiction is always such a relief after novel writing. No worrying about proper sentence structure and proper grammar. Finally getting to just focus on the characters and the story.<strong>

**Hope you enjoyed it, sorry again for the appalling wait.**


	8. Chapter 8

_You make me smile, please stay for a while now._

* * *

><p>Klaus watches Stefan mull around the room, digging through piles of books and junk. The vampire has been at it for close to an hour, but the other man has said nothing. Not even when Stefan starts going through piles for the third time. He's content to just sit back and watch Stefan throw the room into even further chaos. At first he'd wondered just what it was that the vampire was so fervently searching for, but when his first few enquiries had been completely ignored, he'd resorted to just observing.<p>

"Finally," Stefan mutters as he produces a leather bound book.

"And what entertainment do we have here?" Klaus asks, and immediately he's holding the book in his hands and is stretched back out on the bed. Stefan blinks and wonders how on earth it'd all happened so very fast, then glares at Klaus as the hybrid flips the book open and says at long last, "Ah, I see. Taking a stroll down memory lane, are we, ripper?"

Walking over, Stefan snatches the book from him. Or, rather, attempts to. Instead he comes away with air and the hybrid all but _giggles_ at him. Glaring, the brooding vampire replies, "If you're intent on not telling me what happened in the 20's I intend to find out on my own."

"Sorry, love, but I don't think you wrote this one down in your diary," Klaus says, moving the book out of Stefan's reach and ending up with a lapful of vampire as he topples over and falls onto the blonde. "I'm surprised you found time to document any of the _terrible_ things you were doing in those days."

"I didn't write very much," Stefan replies, rolling off Klaus and glaring at his bright-eyed lover. "But the important things I still managed to pen."

"Dear Diary," Klaus announces in a rather poor mimic of Stefan's accent, "today I fear I'm walking rather strange."

The lack of blood pumping through his system prevents the sudden rush of colour to Stefan's cheeks, and for once he's glad of it. The embarrassment floods up through him as he registers Klaus' words and processes them properly. Klaus drops the book and rolls on top of Stefan, pinning him to the bed and smiling like a devil. "Dear Diary, last night was the best night of my life."

"You're a child," Stefan tells him dryly, attempting to escape the hybrid, but Klaus just plonks himself down so he's straddling the vampire and beams like a fool.

"I wish I could see him again. I've never felt so wonderful."

Reaching out, Stefan grabs the front of Klaus' shirt and yanks him down into a rough kiss, effectively silencing him. The book tumbles from the bed and hits the ground, but neither of them seem to care or even notice. Stefan is quite aware of the fact his lips are the only things preventing further ridicule, and he has no intention of removing them to unleash the onslaught.

Klaus, on the other hand, rests one powerful hand on Stefan's chest and sits up with a grin. Immediately, the other man knows he's in for another round and holds up a single finger to silence Klaus. "You kept the suit."

The hybrid frowns. Realisation abruptly hits and blooms onto his face, followed by a snarl. "Don't."

"We had sex and you kept my suit afterwards."

"Be glad I didn't make you leave the room naked," Klaus snaps petulantly.

"What did I leave in, then?"

"If you must know, I gifted you something of my own. We couldn't _find_ your bloody suit."

"But you did," Stefan continues, "_eventually_."

"It was on a lamp in the entryway," Klaus mutters, then pauses and considers something before adding, "_Most of it."_

"And you kept it."

Klaus narrows his eyes, but Stefan doesn't relent. Then, abruptly, something changes in Klaus' face. "I had intended to give it back. But...Mikael interfered. I didn't have the opportunity."

They watch each other in silence as Stefan considers this, trying to sort it out in his head amongst the facts. Then, at last, he smiles. "You kept it."

"It was all I had," Klaus replies, then finds his lips otherwise occupied. Stefan deepens the kiss, running his hands up under Klaus' shirt and across the bare, taut skin of his chest.

Privately, he considers the words again, then internalises a wave of sadness. _It was all I had._

* * *

><p><strong>So...this happened. I don't even know. I'm sorry. I couldn't stop myself and there it was. 730 words of pure foolishness. I haven't even read it twice because I know I'll regret it.<strong>


End file.
